Dean Ira Jackson Welcomes Incoming Drucker Students

You may have noticed that Princeton Review just ranked us a Top Five business school in terms of the quality of our faculty. NetImpact, an organization of values-driven business school students, also places us high on the chart of the most impressive places for management education that is ethical and socially responsible. Japanese business school students rate us #2 in the world.

What makes Drucker so special? Why did one of our entering students this year call Drucker his "dream school?"

I think it's a combination of strengths, beginning with an exceptional faculty that cares about you. They are distinguished intellectually and are widely published. But what differentiates them is that they approach management as a liberal art, reflecting a bias toward not only doing things right, but also doing the right thing. And they love teaching! Here at Drucker, you'll be exposed to faculty who are passionate about the classroom, and who are committed to helping you to succeed. In my experience, that alone sets Drucker apart from most business schools.

We also have a very supportive administrative team, who are accessible, service-oriented, and positive. When we were recently reviewed for our reaccreditation, the three visiting business school deans went out of their way to say how commendable it is that faculty, students and staff are so well aligned around mission, and so determined to make every student's experience just as good as it can be.

These deans also cited Drucker as "best-practice" in a number of other areas, including, importantly, our focus on values. At a time when our global economy is so challenged, Drucker's emphasis on principles and responsibility puts us in a league of our own - and makes a Drucker education more valuable and relevant than ever before.

Your Drucker education will be strenuous. We want you to be successful. We also want you to lead a life of significance, as so many of our alumni do. People like Rajiv Dutta, who has been president of PayPal, Skype, and eBay - and who will be a Drucker Executive in Residence this year. People like Shuming Zhao, who is dean of the Nanjing School of Business in China, and Barry Goldstein, project manager for the Phoenix Mars Mission at NASA.

A wonderful way to connect with alumni and other friends of the School is to attend Drucker Day (November 8), where we will hear from Daniel Yankelovich, one of the world's leading public intellectuals, and an expert on trust - which is in such short supply these days in organizations in every sector around the world.

Try to make time for activities like these, in part because they will prepare you in ways that go beyond the formal learning in the classroom and from text books. So check out NetImpact founder Mark Albion (October 21), and Teach for America founder and CEO Wendy Kopp (October 28), or get involved in our (Henry) Kravis Entrepreneurship competition, or play a constructive role with our Drucker School Student Association (DSSA).

One of the many advantages of Drucker is our small size. Here, you can get to know virtually all your professors - and even your dean! In fact, I welcome you to drop by to say hello or drop me a line if you have a suggestion on how we can do even better.

At Drucker, unlike so many other business schools, we consider ourselves very much a work-in-progress. We are constantly improving and innovating, as Peter Drucker said every organization must if it is to succeed.

We call ourselves not just a "B" school, but also an "M" school and an "L" school, because we are training you to become effective managers and ethical leaders in all sectors of society - public, private and philanthropic.

Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, would have been 100 years old next November. This year will launch the start of what we call the Drucker Centennial. We have a strong group of supporters leading this effort - including the CEO of Procter and Gamble, David Gergen (of CNN), the editor of Business Week, and many more. The Drucker School and the Drucker Institute will be hosting a variety of impactful programs that you will want to participate in.

You have come to Drucker at exactly the right time. We are the right place to advance your careers and your learning, and to accelerate your contribution to making a positive difference in a world that is challenged in so many ways.

You are now part of the Drucker Difference.

Welcome aboard and all the very best.

Ira

Ira A. Jackson

Dean and Professor of Management

Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito

Graduate School of Management

Claremont Graduate University